Reflections on Pearl Harbor and the Aftermath of the Alien Enemies Act
Matthew Marumoto
Eighty-four years ago, the world changed forever when the Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. The Japanese American community was profoundly affected, having their lives turned upside down.
Following the attack, the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 was invoked, leading to the internment of over 31,000 Japanese, German, Italian and Japanese Latin Americans.
This was followed by Executive Order 9066, which led to the wider incarceration of over 125,000 Japanese Americans. The consequences of the internment and incarceration during World War II are still being felt to this day and are still not entirely known.
Just this year, the Alien Enemies Act was invoked for the fourth time, marking the first such invocation outside wartime and serving as a sweeping and legally dubious deportation authority.
Alongside the 2025 invocation, we are seeing things that are akin to what our community saw in the past. Large-scale raids from federal police are disappearing members of immigrant communities, and former internment sites, such as Fort Bliss in West Texas, are being reopened to confine migrants.
The Japanese American community was profoundly affected following the Empire of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent events of World War II.
In October, I had the great honor of leading a lecture on the history of the Alien Enemies Act, followed by an advocacy training with the support of JACL National and the JACL Salt Lake City chapter. This event is part of the JACL’s broader efforts to educate the public about the impact the AEA had on our community and how to push back against its illegal invocation in 2025.
As we wait for the case W.M.M. v. Trump, the primary challenge to the invocation of the AEA, to return to the Supreme Court, we are continuing to educate our community and push for the passage of the Neighbors Not Enemies Act on Capitol Hill.
Daniel K. Inouye Fellow Matt Marumoto presents the history of the Alien Enemies Act for the JACL Salt Lake City chapter.
Photo: Sheldon Marumoto
Now more than ever, the Japanese American community can make a substantial impact by making our voices heard. Our community possesses a unique and important voice in calling for the United States to stop repeating the most shameful parts of our history.
Call your legislators, educate your friends and family and spread the word — no action is too small. Together, we can ensure that we keep the promise of “Never Again.”
Matthew Marumoto is the JACL’s Daniel K. Inouye policy fellow and is based in the organization’s Washington, D.C., office.
